Lower Dock Street drill hall, Newport explained

Lower Dock Street drill hall
Type:Drill hall
Map Type:Wales Newport
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Newport
Location:Newport, Wales
Coordinates:51.5844°N -2.9908°W
Built:1867
Used:1867 – 1960s
Built For:War Office

The Lower Dock Street Street drill hall is a former military installation in Newport, Wales.

History

The building was designed as the headquarters of the 3rd Monmouthshire Rifle Volunteer Corps and was completed in 1867.[1] This unit combined with other units to become the 1st Monmouthshire Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1880 and evolved to become the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, The South Wales Borderers in 1885 and the 1st Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment in 1908.[2] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to the Western Front.[3] The battalion evolved to become the 68th (The Monmouthshire Regiment) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1940, the 609th Regiment, Royal Artillery (The Monmouthshire Regiment) in 1945 and the 603rd (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (1st (Rifle) Battalion The Monmouthshire Regiment) in 1947.[2] In 1955, the presence at the drill hall was reduced to a single battery, P (1st Monmouthshire) Battery, 283rd Field Regiment, a unit which evolved, in 1961, into R (1st Monmouthshire) Battery, 282nd (Glamorgan/Monmouth) Field Regiment.[2] In 1967, further reductions took place and, when the Monmouthshire line was taken up by 211 (South Wales) Battery, 104th Light Air Defence Regiment, that unit was based at Raglan Barracks.[4] The Lower Dock Street drill hall was decommissioned and subsequently used by various religious and community organisations.[5] It is a Grade II listed building.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Newport. The Drill Hall Project. 21 August 2017.
  2. Web site: 1st Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment. Regiments.org. 23 August 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080126153541/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-wales/vinf/mm-1.htm. 26 January 2008. dmy-all.
  3. Web site: Monmouthshire Regiment. The Long, Long Trail. 3 July 2016.
  4. Web site: Artillery Regiments. Armed Forces. 23 August 2017.
  5. Web site: Abundant Life Centre. Harvest Scotland. 23 August 2017.